Jj Needs To Add Soc's Coach To His Staff

[Cooley]

S. Oak Cliff coach left two players in Austin

They ignored his orders after game; he's disciplined

10:09 PM CDT on Friday, April 27, 2007

By DAMON L. SAYLES / The Dallas Morning News

dsayles@dallasnews.com

South Oak Cliff boys basketball coach James Mays II was disciplined recently after he left two of his players in Austin after the UIL state tournament in March, school and district administrators said.

Seniors Michael Berry, 18, and Cornelius Dawson were told to arrange for their own transportation back to Dallas after disobeying an order from Mr. Mays to remain at the team's hotel after the Class 4A state title game on March 10. The rest of the team returned by bus on March 11.

"About 5:30 or 6 [a.m.], we got a wake-up call, and Coach Mays knocked on everybody's doors to get everybody up," Michael said. "He came in the room and told us to call our mothers to pick us up. Then he walked out. The rest of the team left."

Reba Berry, Michael's mother, attended the game in Austin but returned to Dallas on Saturday night.

She said she didn't learn that her son wasn't on the team bus until her daughter, Tameika, called her Sunday.

Michael said he called his sister about the situation early Sunday morning.

One of Michael's former coaches, who was in Austin for the tournament, drove the players home.

Mr. Mays, who's won three state titles in eight seasons at South Oak Cliff, said he considered the incident resolved and referred inquiries to Dallas ISD athletic director Jeff Johnson.

Michael, who played at Lincoln as a freshman and at Seagoville as a sophomore and junior, scored 15 points in the championship game.

Michael said he and Cornelius, instead of remaining at the hotel as Mr. Mays instructed on Saturday evening, ventured to Austin's Sixth Street district hours after South Oak Cliff won its third consecutive state title.

Michael said he received a text message from Mr. Mays around midnight to return to the hotel in 10 minutes or face further consequences but said he and Cornelius stayed out until roughly 4:30 a.m.

Mr. Johnson and SOC athletic director Barbara Brown-McCoy said Mr. Mays was disciplined for the incident.

Mr. Mays, Mr. Johnson, Ms. Brown-McCoy and SOC Principal Regina Jones declined to elaborate.

"This was a personnel issue," Mr. Johnson said. "Everything has been handled accordingly.

"We had our concerns and did our investigations, and now it's done."

In addition, Michael and Cornelius were given in-school suspensions.

Cornelius didn't return repeated phone messages for comment.

Reba Berry said she spoke with Ms. Jones on March 23 and met with Area 5 Superintendent Vickie Mitchell on March 27.

Ms. Mitchell assured her that Mr. Mays had been disciplined.

Mr. Mays said he doesn't have a problem with any of his players and is helping Michael and Cornelius obtain college scholarships. Both players are unsigned but were vital to SOC's state title run.

"I love all my players, them included, and I'm happy that they were able to take part in everything we did this year," Mr. Mays said. "I want all of my players to look back one day and say that they were a part of something special."

[untbowler]

wow, too bad he did not get backed up by the parents and district. Kids disobeyed a direct order. Would be awesome to have a disciplinarian on the staff.

[Green to the Bone]

That was the wrong form of discipline for high school players, but some sort of discipline was called for.

The morning after the first New Orleans bowl, I was at the NO airport waiting to return when I saw two of our football players at the same gate. They had overslept and missed the team bus, and therefore missed the team plane. They had to borrow RV's phone and call their parents, who then had to pay for plane tickets home.

One player told the other, "Man, coach is gonna call me a dumbass."

Indeed.

[Buford_Julep]

"JJ Needs To Add Soc's Coach To His Staff"

If Bobo comes with him, sure.